How To Spend A Long Weekend In Boone, North Carolina, According To A Local

There’s a specific spot as I cruise up U.S. 421 that lets me know I’m nearly there. The road that ribbons through the foothills rises and twists like the tail of a cat. My car shifts into a lower gear, what my daddy would call “granny gear,” to dig into the climb. As the elevation increases, the temperature drops about 5 degrees for every 1,000 feet. The sweeping skyline narrows and then gives way to the Blue Ridge Mountains—I’m almost home.

I grew up in Boone, North Carolina. Both sides of my family have lived in the high mountains and deep hollers of Watauga County for over 150 years. I moved away decades ago, but it will always be the homeplace that beckons and recalibrates me. When I visit my parents, I rarely venture beyond their serene backyard, where I’m content to hang out in a metal-framed lawn chair under the sprawling maples and listen to the creek burble. Not long ago, whenever anyone asked me what to see and do in Boone, I had to sheepishly confess that I didn’t know. Their questions implied I was missing out, so I figured it was high time for me to reacquaint myself with my hometown, a place that I was once so familiar with but hardly knew at all anymore.

People have vacationed in Boone for decades, returning time and again due to what some call the “Boonerang Effect.” Tourists come in droves to enjoy the scenery and embrace the four distinct seasons. I love taking in the fall color, playing in the snow, and marveling at the spring blooms, but nothing beats the summer. So I planned my vacation for when Boone’s cooler temps feel like mercy from the shimmering heat that broils most of the South.

There are hundreds of things to see in this part of northwest North Carolina, known as the High Country. But over my four-day trip, I stayed within the city limits, starting with a stroll through the downtown business district, which is about three square blocks and abuts the campus of Appalachian State University (App State). When I was a kid, Boone was a rural place with a small school. Now it’s a college-football town with nearly as many students passing through each year as there are permanent residents. As businesses that appeal to locals have left the downtown area, restaurants and shops that attract scholars and sightseers have moved into original brick buildings featuring beautiful facades—with some structures dating to the late 1800s and none more than two stories tall. About 20,000 university students, throngs of enthusiastic visiting alumni, and the bustling tourist traffic ensure Boone has no slow season.

Downtown Charm

A smart first stop on a self-guided (or simply meandering) poke around Boone is the Jones House community center, a welcoming source of information and brochures. It’s in a pretty white house with a manicured lawn that hosts live music and art shows on the weekends. Old pictures and maps that show the Boone of yore hang in the front parlor, serving as nostalgic reminders for those of us who still refer to streets and landmarks by what they were once called and also as helpful background for visitors.

History permeates all of Boone, where American pioneers first homesteaded in the 1700s. It’s named for Daniel Boone, who used the area as a hunting camp. A bronze statue of Boone and his hounds sits in Tomlinson Park at the corner of Rivers Street and Stadium Drive.

Next door to the Jones House is the Mast General Store, which occupies the former Hunt’s Department Store and features a curious Y-shaped staircase and original wooden floors that creak in the best ways. It’s filled with apparel, kitchenware, and outdoor-adventure gear, and the merchandise displays are like time capsules. Down the back stairs is the Candy Barrel, a room with toys and containers full of bulk sweets (including old-timey kinds like Mary Janes and Ice Cubes) to scoop into little paper sacks.

Across the street and down a bit is the 1938 Appalachian Theatre, where I always begged to sit in the balcony. After a long battle to save it from demolition and then an extensive restoration, it is now a venue for music and dance performances, film festivals, and classic-movie nights.

A block away is another impressively repurposed and revitalized building, The Horton Hotel, Boone’s only boutique stay. Housed in a former Studebaker dealership that also served as a department store, the 15 rooms (some pet friendly) can book up weeks in advance, but the lobby and rooftop bars are open to the public. The views up high are incomparable at night, when lights in the surrounding hills twinkle like fireflies. I marvel at the fact that I can now order a craft cocktail in Boone, a town that was dry from 1949 to 1986.

Downtown is full of stores and galleries highlighting area artists. Doe Ridge Pottery specializes in unique but functional ceramics and is a stop on the official Blue Ridge Craft Trails. There are also places to pick up black-and-gold App State clothing and memorabilia.

Take a break at Lost Province Brewing Co., a microbrewery and gastropub that is part of the Neck of the Woods Flavor Trail—a nod to the High Country’s efforts to showcase local products. There are a dozen or so beers on tap that are brewed on-site. I sat upstairs along the windows that overlook the vats to watch the brewers work, pretty much in the same spot where my mother’s desk sat back when she was a bookkeeper for the Chevrolet dealership that once operated out of this building.

Benchmark Provisions is a specialty-foods store that's located in the basement of a former bank, as evidenced by the massive stone walls that once held up the vault. The market describes itself as a “downtown purveyor of necessities and the delectable,” including snacks ideal for picnicking and tailgating.

Come dinnertime—or perhaps more appropriately, suppertime—people often suggest Proper. This cozy restaurant occupies the oldest building downtown, which was constructed in 1889 and once held the local jail. Guests rave about the fried chicken and collards in particular. It’s one of the few places in Boone still cooking up what most folks would instantly recognize as homestyle seasonal Southern fare, both traditional and contemporary.

Not all of the excellent food and drink destinations are located downtown. Take Stick Boy Bread Co., for example. Just across from the main entrance to App State, the small parking lot has cars darting in and out all day. This place is awash with the sweet, yeasty aromas of fresh baked goods and also has great coffee from local roasters and stocks to-go items like pizza kits and homemade soups. Restaurants and artisanal-food shops across the High Country boast that Stick Boy is the source for their bread.

Local Flavor

With so many students here, it’s not surprising to find a growing list of places dedicated to caffeine. My newest discovery is Hatchet Coffee Roasters. You can choose from espresso- and tea-based beverages or pull something chilled (such as kombucha) out of the cooler. They have a light menu and offer plenty of gifts to browse while waiting in line. Pick up a bag of their Blue Ridge Blend to take home.

I can’t resist a good produce market, especially one in Boone. On Saturday mornings, the Watauga County Farmers’ Market is filled with beautiful displays of seasonal produce, plants, baked goods, and crafts like pottery and handmade jewelry. I always stumble upon culinary treasures such as heirloom apples, half-runner beans, and candy roaster pumpkins. You’ll also find tinctures and potions reminiscent of Boone’s history as a place where mountain wildcrafters brought foraged “yarbs” (herbs) to the wholesale market in the old Wilcox warehouse, which is now home to a snazzy sushi restaurant and lofts. Parked along the side are food trucks, including Bald Guy Brewing and Betty’s Biscuits, ready to hand out hot coffee and breakfast sandwiches with all the fixings.

The folks behind Betty’s Biscuits also run The Beacon Butcher Bar, a restaurant melding Italian and Appalachian flavors. As the name implies, it has wonderful smoked and grilled meats and fish—as well as pastas and pizzas. I can’t stop thinking about the Neapolitan-style pie with apple butter, roasted squash, and blue cheese.

If it’s true that you can gauge an eatery by the number of cars lined up to get in, then the backup that can spill onto Blowing Rock Road is a rousing endorsement for the Come Back Shack. It’s known for burgers with a long list of toppings, hand-cut fries, massive milkshakes, and other treats. There’s indoor and outdoor seating, but most people choose the drive-through and roll on to their next activity.

Craft breweries keep the drinks flowing in Boone, to the delight of students and tourists alike. I got a kick out of Booneshine Brewing Co., on the eastern edge of town near Brookshire Park. There’s a tasting room, a restaurant, a beer garden, and a food truck serving barbecue. Another popular watering hole is Appalachian Mountain Brewery, thanks to its large indoor taproom and an even bigger beer garden. They offer around 30 beverages, including small-batch brews, hard ciders, and seltzers.

Adventures For All

Ah, yes, Boone is outdoorsy, to say the least. You’ll discover breathtaking scenery and mountain vistas everywhere you turn. Try gazing up at Howard Knob, one of the highest peaks in the city. Or enjoy it from the small park at the top, which at an elevation of 4,396 feet, offers panoramic views of much of Watauga County.

One thing I love about this town is that you don’t have to venture far afield for a solid hike or a casual walk. The Greenway Trail system crosses meadows, soars over bridges, ducks under roads, and meanders streamside with ample benches and picnic spots along the way. It’s just right for those who are looking for a taste of Boone’s natural beauty but want to stick to wearing sneakers or comfy sandals.

For a more serious hike, lace up sturdy shoes and head to the Appalachian State University Nature Preserve, a 67-acre sanctuary that’s the largest contiguous forest still standing in town. App State uses it for classes and research, but well-behaved visitors can enjoy it too.

The 185-acre grounds of Rocky Knob Mountain Bike Park contain five main trails of various lengths and difficulty levels plus four separate skills areas, not to mention gorgeous vistas. It draws biking enthusiasts from all over the country, though intermediate hikers can trek in designated zones.

Despite all I did, saw, ate, and sipped during my jam-packed four-day excursion, I realize that I’ve only scratched the surface of my hometown and could easily stay occupied and entertained for many more days. I’ll be back, like a Boonerang.